Kirk Ferentz's shockingly early starting QB reveal tells us everything we need to know

Who is this Kirk Ferentz, and where has the old one gone?

Iowa is coming off a bye week following a successful first half of the season. After a commanding road victory over Washington, Ferentz and the coaching staff had one glaring decision to make. Backup quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski earned his first career start against Washington with starter Hank Brown nursing a shoulder injury, and he performed well. The offense hummed with Hecklinski at the helm, and his performance created a quarterback controversy heading into week eight. With the Floyd of Rosedale on the line, Ferentz has already announced the starting quarterback.

Jeremy Hecklinski gets the start against Minnesota in Week 8

Hank Brown initially earned the starting quarterback role after Iowa crushed UNI in week three, but after the offense struggled with inconsistencies, questions resurfaced. Brown's starting spot was getting shaky, especially after Hecklinski performed well in relief against Ohio State and subsequently against Washington. With both quarterbacks ready to go, Ferentz made a shocking early announcement about who will start a pivotal week-eight game in Minneapolis.

All aboard the Hecklinski hype train! The third-year gunslinger earned his second career start, which says a lot about the starting battle. In coordinator interviews during the bye week, offensive coordinator Tim Lester said both quarterbacks were "good to go" health-wise, and everyone expected the coaching staff to hand the job back to Brown. Ferentz echoed Lester's statement during his weekly press conference, and he has rarely, if ever, replaced a starting quarterback midseason. Although it is unclear if the decision is permanent, it was made extremely quickly.

Ferentz has not pulled the trigger on naming a starting quarterback until much later in game weeks, sometimes waiting until game day. After the return of the dreaded "OR" designation between Brown and Hecklinski, everyone expected the decision to go down to the wire. Whether Ferentz slipped up by naming the starter early or did so deliberately, announcing Hecklinski as the starter proves that the coaching staff has a lot of confidence in him. It also says a lot that although Brown was cleared to play last game and was labeled "fully healthy," Hecklinski earned the start.

Both quarterbacks have proven they can run the offense, but Ferentz said Hecklinski is the best option right now. Ferentz said multiple times that the decision remains close, and although he didn't dive into details, Hecklinski is the guy.

Hecklinski earned another start because of more than just his stats

Hecklinski got off to a slow start this season and was outplayed by Brown through the first three weeks. Instead of pouting on the sidelines, Hecklinski stayed ready so he never had to get ready, and it paid off. He was the ultimate teammate when Brown was in the game, and though he admitted it was hard to wait for another turn, he did it with patience and confidence in his abilities. That proves he is a team-first guy and a budding leader. When Brown was hurt against Ohio State, Ferentz said he had confidence in Hecklinski, earning him his first career start against Washington.

Hecklinski rewarded Ferentz's confidence with a solid performance, making him and the coaching staff reconsider the starting job. A fully healthy Brown didn't earn the start, and Hecklinski did, proving he has the moxie and leadership the program wants. Nothing against Brown, and no one is saying he isn't a good quarterback, but Hecklinski oozes confidence, and the offense has looked better with him under center. Brown will forever be a hero for leading the game-winning drive against Michigan, but Hecklinski just has that "it" factor.

Hecklinski has extreme confidence in his abilities, and although Washington's defense isn't near Michigan's, he made the plays Brown didn't. Brown's injury didn't help, but after a revealing performance against Ohio State, the coaching staff was clearly reconsidering their options. Hecklinski is a little more reckless with the ball, but he's confident he can make any throw. As he has gotten more comfortable in the offense, he's shone, and the rest of the unit is responding. It is still unclear if he will be the guy moving forward, but he should be, and he has another chance to prove it against Minnesota.

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